Pancreatic cancer drug to go on PBS

A drug that could give people with advanced pancreatic cancer a glimmer of hope is set to become cheaper.

Pancreatic cancer is particularly deadly, with few treatment options and only six per cent of patients surviving five years.

A new treatment option for sufferers, Abraxane, will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from November 1.

Health Minister Peter Dutton says more than 1,500 patients would benefit each year from the PBS listing.

"This listing provides patients with a new treatment option that has demonstrated an increase in overall survival by around two months, compared to other treatments," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Without the PBS listing patients would face an average cost of $16,000 for a course of treatment, at an average cost of $1,300 per script.